What caused Tauqeer Nasir to turn down Saba Qamar in her audition?

Veteran Pakistani actor Tauqeer Nasir has revealed that he once rejected the now-acclaimed actress Saba Qamar during an audition.

Nasir made this revelation during his appearance on a private television channel's programme, where he discussed various aspects of his career struggles.

Speaking about his fellow actress, Nasir acknowledged that Saba Qamar is currently one of the finest actresses in Pakistan.

However, he admitted that she wasn’t as exceptional in the past, which led to her being rejected during an audition.

The senior actor shared that he had conducted auditions for several actors for a drama under his production, and Saba Qamar was among them.

Nasir further explained that during the audition, he didn’t find Saba Qamar to be committed to her work, particularly in delivering dialogues.

He mentioned giving her a set of four lines, which she hurriedly delivered without finesse.

According to Nasir, Saba Qamar was in such a rush that she admitted she had to be somewhere else.

He added that he was looking for seasoned actors for his drama, and at the time, Saba Qamar did not meet his standards, leading to her rejection in the audition.

Previously, Pakistani playwright and director Khalil ur Rehman Qamar declared that he would never work with leading actress Saba Qamar.

Earlier, the firebrand screenwriter had drawn controversy when he publicly refused to work with megastar Mahira Khan.

During a recent podcast, the host asked Qamar if there was any actress he would never cast in his dramas. In response, Qamar explicitly mentioned Saba Qamar, stating that he would not cast her in any of his projects due to her choice of "vulgar" attire, which he believes is against his standards.

“There is no doubt that Saba Qamar is an excellent actress and she performed brilliantly in one of my past dramas. However, her current choice of clothing is against our culture and my principles,” the playwright explained.

He acknowledged that Saba Qamar’s wardrobe choices are her personal preference and that he has no issue with her liking them.